Tea filter pack for automatic brewers

A conformable, high extraction efficiency, tea filter pack containing a predetermined volume V.sub.1 of dry tea leaves having extractable flavor solids therein, said tea filter pack being suitable for use in combination with a coffee maker having a porous means for supporting said conformable filter pack in an upwardly concave configuration and means for delivering a predetermined volume V.sub.2 of hot water into said upwardly concave tea filter pack at a predetermined water delivery flow rate F.sub.1 to produce a brewed tea product of substantially consistent brew strength from one pot to the next, said tea filter pack comprising:

• (a) a bottom layer comprised of a flexible material, said bottom layer having inner and outer faces;
• (b) a top layer comprised of a flexible material, said top layer having inner and outer faces, said inner face of said top layer being centered and continuously secured to said bottom layer about said top layer's outer perimeter, thereby defining a brew chamber between their centrally located non-joined areas, said brew chamber containing said predetermined volume V.sub.1 of dry tea leaves, said brew chamber having a maximum volume V.sub.3 that is larger than the volume V.sub.1 of said dry tea leaves;
• (c) a conformable side wall defined by the portions of said top and bottom layers extending outwardly from the outer perimeter of said brew chamber, said filter pack further including a means for making said side wall substantially impervious to the passage of water, said side wall, upon insertion into said support means in said coffee maker, being substantially vertically oriented about its entire periphery so as to retain incoming hot water from the coffee maker therein, the vertical height of said substantially water impervious vertically extending side wall being at least sufficient to retain enough incoming hot water to totally immerse said brew chamber when said brew chamber is in its flooded and fully expanded condition;
• (d) a porous inlet orifice in said top layer of said brew chamber to prevent the passage of tea leaves therethrough yet allow incoming hot water, which is retained by said substantially vertically oriented substantially water impervious side wall, to pass therethrough at a predetermined flow rate F.sub.2 at least until a substantially steady state brewing condition is reached inside said brew chamber;
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• (e) a porous discharge outlet orifice in said bottom layer of said brew chamber to prevent the passage of tea leaves therethrough yet allow brewed tea to pass therethrough at a predetermined maximum outlet flow rate F.sub.3 once a steady state brewing condition is reached inside said brew chamber, said porous inlet orifice in said top layer being of larger area than said porous discharge outlet orifice in said bottom layer such that said maximum outlet flow rate F.sub.3 is less than said flow rate F.sub.1 of said incoming hot water from said coffee maker and less than said inlet flow rate F.sub.2 into said brew chamber, the difference between said inlet flow rate F.sub.2 and said outlet flow rate F.sub.3 being sufficiently great that said brew chamber becomes flooded to produce a steady state brewing condition wherein the combined volume of the water and the tea leaves contained in said brew chamber are substantially equal to the maximum volume V.sub.3 of said brew chamber before a significant portion of the total volume V.sub.2 of incoming hot water has exited said brew chamber, said maximum volume V.sub.3 of said brew chamber being sufficient to allow said tea leaves to expand and float within said brew chamber during said steady state brewing condition, and wherein said means for making said side wall substantially impervious to the passage of water extends onto the inner face of said bottom layer in said brew chamber.